AOPA President Mark Baker on June 5 announced to members that “for only the second time in the past 24 years, we’ve made the tough decision to increase AOPA member dues.” Regular membership dues will increase to $59 a year starting Sept. 1.

Matthew Cahn received Microsoft Flight Simulator as a Christmas gift one year. Knowing that the game had piqued his son’s interest in aviation, Matthew’s father arranged for him to go flying with a friend in November 2012. Less than a year later, Matthew is the one doing the flying. A freshman at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, Matthew, now 15, has about 14 hours logged in a Cessna 172 and plans to solo on or near his 16th birthday on Nov. 7, 2014. He hopes to follow that up a year later and earn his private pilot certificate. His goal is to become a commercial pilot. “It would be cool to fly around the country and maybe the world,” he explains.

Spencer Rice isn’t afraid to ask questions and he knows how to be persistent. It’s those two qualities that help explain why the 15-year-old from Portland, Oregon is not only a student pilot, but also building an airplane from scratch.

AOPA and Youth Aviation Adventure (YAA) are sponsoring a free three-hour hands-on discovery program for teens ages 13-18 at Airportfest at Meacham International Airport on October 12, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

AOPA is excited to announce the appointment of the 2013-2014 AOPA AV8RS Teen Advisory Council (AATAC) members who will begin their year-long tenure in October. We received many great nominations so the selection process was a tough one. It’s important to note that all nominees exemplify the dedication and passion that characterize our teen AV8RS community – and future leaders of the aviation industry. We appreciate the time, thought and effort they put into submitting their applications and hope they will apply again next year!